Must have app Amazing Weather HD updated for Windows Phone 8

One of our favorite weather apps around here, Amazing Weather, just got bumped with some Windows Phone 8 support to version 4.0. Now appropriately titled Amazing Weather HD, the app weighs in at an impressive 80MB. Reason? It’s all of those fancy high-resolution animations.

Amazing Weather HD features what can be best described as subtle animated GIFs (though technically they are HD videos) in the background of the weathercast. For instance today we have a pile of leaves, some of which are twitching slightly in the wind. On other days you will have rain falling or light snow blowing—it’s some very pretty stuff. But if photo-realism isn’t your thing, the developer has also embraced two Metro UI themes in dark and light choices. That style is flat with just the “just the facts, ma’am” approach Windows Phone users are used to...

The Live Tiles also now come in three sizes: tiny, regular and doublewide, in addition to having their graphics up-scaled for the new higher resolution devices. Text and imagery are now much sharper looking with the updated Tiles.

Unfortunately for this release, developer EizSoft did not go for lock screen temperature, billboard forecast, or lock screen wallpaper. We’re sure that’s probably coming down the road but you won’t get those coveted WP8 features in this update.

Other than that, Amazing Weather HD has the usual gambit of options: location-based weather that always updates based on your GPS coordinates, multiple pre-defined locations, notifications for severe weather, animated weather maps (radar, satellite IR4, visibility), hourly weather and charts. Launch time of the app hedges right at 2 seconds from tap to viewable forecast, which is quite fast in our books.

While there are some other great forecast apps out there, Amazing Weather HD is easily our top. You can pick it up in two versions free and paid ($1.49). Currently only the paid one has the update though we expect ‘Lite’ to get it as well.

Reader comments

Must have app Amazing Weather HD updated for Windows Phone 8

I love the tile size choices! Wonderful implementation right there. Never thought I would pay for a weather app but this developer deserves to be rewarded. Can I assume the paid version doesn't have ads?

i recently spoke to the developer who said that Weather Flow's update was submitted on 11/29. i hope to see it soon. He allowed me to see some previews of the app and it looks great. It actually looks similiar to Amazing Weather HD but BETTER! If I were you I'd hold out. TRUST ME!!!

"Unfortunately for this release, developer EizSoft did not go for lock screen temperature, billboard forecast, or lock screen wallpaper. We’re sure that’s probably coming down the road but you won’t get those coveted WP8 features in this update."

Seriously? With all the other features of this app, not to mention compatibility with the HD displays of newer, Windows Phone 8 devices, you still think it's lacking because of what, no lock screen integration?

Correction the app launches in 1.5 sec according the the developer. And Daniel question, do people in east coast get faster update numbers in marketplace live tile because I didn't see any number change there here in west coast.

Thanks for the reply and I have otherquestion, i have wp7 running the tango version but for the windy animation, there is a one sec delay with black blank screen when it tries to replay the animation. Did you notice this on wp8???

Do these apps drain batteries? I see weather apps running in the backgroud with 7.5 but I'm not sure if it is a major hit with batteries. Since I haven't heard really good things about 920's battery life.

Hi, great app. Can I make a small request? For the double wide tile, can you give us the option to a have a 2/3 day forecast on the back when it flips over for the realistic style? I think that'll be more useful for some people like me. Thanks!

Unfortunately the new version doesn't display the current temperature on the small-sized live tile. It doesn't display weather conditions like "Chance of Rain" either. This is a bummer. One thing I really dislike about Windows 8 is a lot of app developers, including Microsoft assume we are all blind, and make the small-sized live tiles almost useless. Screen real estate at the top of the Start Screen is precious, so now that I have to have a medium-sized tile for Amazing Weather, I've moved it "below the fold".

"...the small-sized live tiles almost useless."
Dude, I hope your speaking for yourself with this comment, because I find the small-size to be totally great!!! Most of my tiles are the small tiles. They are absolutely useful to me!!!!

I like the small size too because I can fit a lot more on the screen without scrolling. That's why I want the small size tiles to display the same information as the medium sized tiles. Before this Amazing Weather update that was the case, but now the small tile displays less information. What's the point in the downgrade? I don't want my small tiles to be simply icons like an iPhone, yet that's what Microsoft has done with a lot of their apps.

Anyone having trouble getting the live tile to do anything? I have uninstalled twice, toggled the live tile in settings, and pinned unpinned a few times as well. Don't know what else to do I'm sure there's something lol.

How did you add the live tile? Go into the app, select the location that you want, then choose Pin. It will give you three options for the live tile content. Select the one you like and you should be good to go. If you just pinned it from the app list, I think the tile is static (at least that was my experience).

Are there any other weather apps that can show current conditions and forecast on the current GPS-based location on the live tile? I tried Weather Channel and AccuWeather and don't see any way to accomplish this. They can pull up current location in the app, but the live tile seems to be based on a predefined location.
If this is the only app that can do that, it is reason enough to select it over the competition in my mind.
I would like to see a version without the HD animations that has a smaller footprint. I don't need the fluff, just the functionality ;-).

Had to toggle this setting after the update to make GPS tile work again. Also all cities/stations disappeared after the update. Otherwise brilliant app, been using for nearly a year and it's improved immensely.

I am a 99 cent guy. I truly believe more apps would sell if they were priced at 99 cents. This app would have to sell 1.5 times better to make up for the price difference, and I truly think it would. That said, the tile choices blew me away. I am totally buying this, but I never would have even bothered to look had I not seen it listed here on WPcentral

You clearly didn't read my post. I bought the app, making your retort seem nothing but ignorant. I was merely saying that I feel these apps would sell way better (enjoy more than 1.5 times the downloads) if they were under a buck. The huge devs like Rovio get it. Its the Hershey model.

I appreciate these app reviews that you guys do on a consistent basis. I've been in the Windows Phone ecosystem for less than a week and articles like these are really helpful for finding those "diamonds in the rough." I was looking for a great double-wide weather tile...the search is over!

Is it me or is the GPS function different with this update? I used to be able to add a current GPS location as a city and then PIN that to start, where the live tile would update every hour and show my current location. Doesn't seem to work now...

Love this app. Initially installed the trial to give it a once over. Decided to purchase, but no way to accomplish this from w/in the app itself. So, I uninstalled and sprinted to the Marketplace to reinstall the paid version. It downloads and before it starts to install it presents me w/ the dreaded Error code: c101a7d1. I've cancelled the install, bounced the phone and tried again to install the paid version and was greeted w/ the same error. Cancelled the download once more and installed the trial version again w/out issue. What gives?

Can anyone speak to how this app and settings affect power consumption? Would updating the live tile (using GPS location) every 2 hours be something that will cause me problems? How does everyone have their's set to update?

Wow!!! That's so great!! I can't wait to mix and match because I love the information on the medium size tile with the current temp and the forecast but don't like how when I shrink it it doesn't show the current temp. Can that be changed?

I can confirm that to have the gps live tile or gps station the app needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled. Then pin your gps station to the start screen within the app. Your gps station is denoted with the dot in the circle icon, the same icon some thought were new for WP8!

I know the tile setting has already been mentioned but I was coming here to gripe about the live tile not working. It works fine, you just need to learn how to set the tile. You need to set your weather location and in settings push pin. If you pin the tile from the app list, it will not set the live tiles.
I know this is mentioned in other spots in this thread but I thought I would bump how to set it. I love this app. First paid app for me and worth every penny.